1. Field
The following description relates to a power semiconductor module and a method of manufacturing the power semiconductor module. The following description also relates to a power semiconductor module and a method of manufacturing the power semiconductor module that facilitates coupling of a Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) substrate to which a semiconductor chip is attached and a lead frame including a plurality of terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
A power semiconductor device is used for power conversion, such as conversion from AC to DC, power voltage transformation, such as a step-up transformation or a step-down transformation, power stabilization, power management, and power control in order to use electric energy.
For example, the power semiconductor is used for a power supply, an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), a welding device, and an electric vehicle requiring high power. Examples of a representative power semiconductor may include an Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT), a Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET), a super junction, and a diode.
A power semiconductor module is a module in which an integrated circuit (IC) and a companion element, such as an IGBT or a Fast Recovery Diode (FRD) are integrated into one package, unlike an approach where these elements are each presented as a discrete single element. For example, a power semiconductor module is a high efficiency power element that combines and uses an IGBT, which is a high power semiconductor element, and an FRD element that assists turn on/off conversion, into one piece. Accordingly, a power semiconductor module that uses in parallel multiple such power semiconductor elements at once to generate high power may be produced and provided.
A conventional method of packaging a power semiconductor module includes a process of coupling a plurality of terminals attached to a lead frame to a DBC substrate. For example, in such a process of simultaneously bonding a plurality of terminals in a desired area of one DBC substrate, a pressure is applied to the lead frame. In this example, when a pressure is not evenly applied to the lead frame, a problem may occur that any one terminal is floated or is otherwise not well attached. In such a fault state, a subsequent process, for example, soldering, wire bonding, molding, trimming, marking, and a final test are performed. However, only in the final test is the problem discovered. Accordingly, in the subsequent processing, much unnecessary cost occurs because additional steps are performed even though there is a fault state.
The examples have been made in view of the above issues and provide a power semiconductor module that can minimize a coupling fault of a terminal and a substrate by reducing the number of terminals.
The examples further provide a method of manufacturing power semiconductor module that is able to discover a fault earlier by previously checking a coupling fault of a terminal in order to save in cost.